The cannabis cultivation arena is getting bigger as more people are venturing into growing cannabis the plant. It’s no surprise because the Cannabis industry estimate is worth a staggering $344 billion on a global scale. This is both for regulated and illicit cannabis.
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Growing Cannabis
With the market growing exponentially, the best way to get into cannabis growing is to work with an environment-friendly model. Below are five ways you can incorporate eco-friendly growing techniques into your cannabis cultivation.
Grow Outdoors or In A Greenhouse
Growing your cannabis plant outside is perhaps the most significant step towards sustainable, environment-friendly cultivation. However, it may not be the best option for other people because climate issues are not impossible to do. You need a little creativity and a switch of perspective.
Depending on the locality of your cultivation, outdoor growing may mean you’ll only harvest once annually, but that may be enough. You can grow enough plants such that there’s enough to last to the next harvest period. You have to put in extra care with your buds and lower your weed tolerance.
Growing your cannabis indoors will mean that there will be a lot of power consumption. You also need to consider ventilation. So, unless you have a great solar system set up, growing your plants outdoors is the best way to go. These two will take up most of your cannabis cultivation costs, and why pay so much when you can avoid it.
An outdoor growing model will reverse the impact of carbon dioxide on the climate by pulling it in and converting it to oxygen. If you use a greenhouse, you get the best of both worlds. You get to control the effect of dust, pests, and wind on your crop and enjoy the advantages of indoor growing.
Go Organic —Avoid the Chemicals
Going fully organic may be easier said than done, plus it’s not possible nor efficient to do it. If you’re considering any synthetic, bottled nutrients, scrub away those thoughts if you want an environmentally friendly product. You can grow cannabis and avoid chemicals all together if you are careful.
You may be tempted to buy some pesticides at your local garden store but keep in mind that they are made out of chemicals thus may not be so good for the soil and environment.
When you spray your cannabis plantations, the chemicals end up in the soil, and they may leach into the water bodies affecting both the wildlife and water. When you spray your cannabis plantations, the soil becomes compromised and as a result, so do our rivers, oceans, and wildlife.
Furthermore, even while buying cannabis products like edible Canada, you should check the seller’s website to see if they follow such sustainable farming practices or not.
Save on Water
Cannabis cultivation is known for its high-water wastage and consumption. And being a first-time grower, you may fall victim to over-watering your cannabis plants. Taking measures to ensure you conserve water will help you avoid these losses.
The more you can employ water conservation methods in your cannabis cultivation, the better. Using mulch is an excellent idea for conserving water. Incorporating mulch such as hay in your planting bed will reduce water loss through evaporation, and you’ll water your plants less frequently.
Your cannabis plants will optimally grow because they’ll be able to absorb more nutrients in solution form.
Mulching will also help you with the weeds that pop up in your cannabis garden. If you’re really into eco-friendly cannabis growing, you can go a step further and collect rainwater for your plants. This is a great way to reduce your costs and overdependence on piped water.
Consider A Different Growing Medium
Instead of going with soil as your medium of growth, switch it up and go with soilless alternatives such as coco coir. These are a safe alternative for the environment and also a healthy one. They are made from renewable husks and are a by-product of processed coconut shells.
Peat-bases mixes, which were common before coco coir, take many years to develop naturally. They also absorb and store vast quantities of CO2. A great example is Rockwool, which is mined at an alarming rate but remains dangerous and irritating to the environment because it takes a long time to decompose.
Coco coir is inert, and it has a tremendous water-holding ability. It also allows sufficient oxygen to reach the root zones of the cannabis plant, ensuring optimal growth and ultimate survival.
Grow Your Cannabis with Companion Plants
When you grow your cannabis with other plants, the buds stand to gain many advantages. Beans and clovers will fix nitrogen in the soil for your cannabis plants to benefit. They also act as pests decoy, meaning pests such as mites will go to them first.
If you plant chilies and marigolds next to your cannabis plants, they’ll also repel those annoying pests. Rosemary and basil keep slugs and snails at bay too.
Conclusion
Now that growing cannabis is almost mainstream; you should take this opportunity to produce plants that don’t drain a lot of resources and are much safer for the environment. These tips will mainly help if you employ them efficiently.
Author bio: Emma Wilson a content specialist with a focus on health and wellness.
